Foot operated toilet seat lifter



Dec. 8, 1953 JUNG 2,661,484

FOOT OPERATED TOILET SEAT LIFTER Filed Jan. 23, 1953 jig I 4'3- "30 INVENTOR 40 doc/v Jung ATTORNEY Patented Dec; 8, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to foot operated devices for lifting hinged objects, such as toilet seats, and more particularly to an attachment for a toilet bowl and seat combination to enable a person to raise the toilet seat by foot pressure on the attachment. v

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved foot operated device for lifting hinged objects, such as toilet seats, which is effective, when subjected to foot pressure, to lift the associated seat and hold the seat in raised position; which includes latch means which holds the associated seat in raised position and which is manually releasable to permit the seat to descend by gravity to its position on the top of the associated bowl; which includes a friction damping means to prevent the associated seat from violently striking the toilet bowl or tank associated with the seat; which provides resilient cushioning means for the seat; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to install, and positive and effective in operation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein: V

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a toilet seat assembly with a seat lifting attachment illustrative of the invention operatively applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the toilet seat assembly and seat lifting attachment; and

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the toilet seat.

With continued reference to the drawing, the toilet assembly comprises a bowl I of well known shape having around its top a, rim II, the upper surface of which is substantially in a horizontal plane, a tank |2 disposed rearwardly of the bowl l0 and extending above the plane of the top surface of the bowl, a water connection |3 between the bottom of the tank and the rear of the bowl,

a seat It disposed above the top surface of the bowl It and hinged at its rear end to the rear of the bowl by a hinge l5 and a seat cover |6 disposed above the seat M and hinged at its rear end to the rear of the bowl by a cover supporting portion H of the hinge l5.

As the toilet bowl, tank, seat and seat cover combination may be of a form well known to the art, a more detailed illustration and description is considered unnecessary for the purposes of the present disclosure.

"The seat lifting attachment of the present in- 3 Claimsr (Cl. 4-251) vention comprises a right angular shaped sup-' port, generally indicated at 20, including an elongated base 2| adapted to be mounted on the floor adjacent one side of the bottom flange of the toilet bowl and to extend forwardly and rear-' wardly of the bowl, and a standard 22 extending perpendicularly upward from the end of the base 2| disposed rearwardly of the bowl and extending above the top surface of the bowl adja-' cent the front of the tank l2.

An elongated lever 23 is disposed above the base 2| and extends longitudinally of the base and a bearing structure 24 extends upwardly I from the base intermediate the length of the base and provides a fulcrum supporting the lever intermediate the length of the lever. A slotted guide 25 extends upwardly from the base at a location spaced from the side of the bearing means 224 remote from the standard 22 and receives the adjacent portion of the lever to restrict the movement of the ends of the lever to a substantially vertical direction.

An elongated hollow guideway 26 of rectangular cross sectional shape is mounted on the under side of the seat It and extends longitudinally of the seat and this guideway is provided in its bottom side with a longitudinally extending slot 21 disposed medially of the width of the bottom side of the rectangular guideway.

A slide device 28 in the form of a carriage having rollers journaled one at each side thereof is disposed in the rectangular guideway 26 and is movable longitudinally of the guideway.

An elongated link 30 is pivotally connected at one end to the end of the lever 23 nearest the standard 22 and the other end of this link 30 is pivotally connected to the slide 28.

A cable sheave 32 is mounted on the link 39 intermediate the length of the link and cable sheaves 33 and 34 are mounted on the front side of the standard 22 with the sheave 34 disposed adjacent the corresponding end of the base 2| and the sheave 33 disposed adjacent the top of I the bowl ID. A cable or strand 35 extends around from the position illustrated in full lines to the position illustrated in broken lines in Figure l,

and raising the seat I4. A latch 38 is pivotally mounted on the base 2! near the end of the base remote from the standard 22 and, when the corresponding end of the lever 23 is forced downwardly by foot pressure, this end of the lever passes the adjacent side of the latch 38 and the latch is resiliently moved into engagement with the lever by a spring 39 disposed between the upper surface of the latch and the head of a bolt extending through the latch and secured at, its end remote from its head to the base 2|. The latch is provided with a foot tread or pedal 4:: upon which foot pressure may be exerted to res.

lease the latch from the lever against the for e of spring 39 and free the seat 14 for descent by gravity from its raised position to, its position in which it rests upon the top surface of the toilet bowl l0.

Pads 4|, 42 and 43 are mounted on the under side of the seat at locations spaced apart around t e front f; e. s a d th s p ds te d ir m the nder surface of the seat n x en s m what greater than that which the guideway 26, extends from the under side of the seat, so that the pads engage to top surface of the bowl when the seat descends and prevent any objectionable shock when the descent of the seat is stopped, by nga eme of h sea with the op su face of the bowl.

Swinging movement'of the seat, in both its iais ng. an de c nd ng directio is. reta d. by the frictional resistance of the, cable or strand 3.5 moving around the associated cable sheaves, so that all movements of the seat are damped to an extent such that no objectionable shock or noise occurswhen the seat isv raised or lowered.

Ari arm ,5 s, tal y connected at one end. to the, standard 22 near the upper end of the tandar a t x en i g. throu h registering apertures in the arm and the standard and a p 1 f e i nt m er al s arrie y t e. arm 45 at a location spaced from the bolt 35.

When the seat is. to be raised and lowered by the. seat. li t n atta hm nt, a ove descr b d. the seat cover i5, is raised to its position against the front. of the tank l2 and the arm 45 is swung aboutjits, pivotal connection with the standard 22, to a' position at which the pad 41 is disposed at the side of the cover [6, remote from the tank l2 and holds the cover in raised position. The wing nut, 48, on the bolt 46 is then tightened to hold the pad 4,1 in this position and the padnot only retains the cover [6, in raised position, but also; providesoa resilient stop forthe seat. [4, when the seat is raised by the seat lifting attachment.

The, invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment therefore, to be considered in allrespects as, illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicatedby the ap-l pended claimsrather than by the foregoing de-i scription, and all changes which come within the meaning, and range. or equivalency of the claims; are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a toilet assembly including a bowl, a tank disposed-at the rear of the, bowl and extending above the top of the bowl, and a seat and seat cover hinged to said bowl at the rear of the topof the bowl for swinging movement between the top of the bowl and the front of the tank, a seat raising attachment comprising a support including a, base disposed adjacent the bottom of the bowl and a standard extending upwardly from one end of said base and disposed adjacent the front of said tank, a lever disposed above said base and extending longitudinally thereof, means extending upwardly from said base and providing a fulcrum supporting said lever intermediate the length of the latter, a guideway mounted on the under side of said seat and extending longitudinally thereof, slide means engaging and movable longitudinally of said; guideway, a link pivotally connected at one end to the end of said lever adjacent said standard and connected at its other end to said slide means, a sheave on said link intermediate the length thereof, sheaves on said standard at spaced apart locations therealong, a strand extending; around said sheaves and having its ends connected together to support said link on said standard." and enable said link to raise said seat in response to downward foot pressure on the end of said lever remote from said standard, and a latch mounted on said base near the end Qfthelatter remo e fr m said sta dard and. eneasin he orr s ondin d f id lev w h atter s forc d downwa dly by o t pressur thereon to hold; said seat in raised position, said latch being released from said lever by foot-pressure on said latch to free said, seat to descend-by gravity to the top of said' bowl;

2.v In combination with a toilet assembly including a bowl, a tank; disposed at the rear of the bowl and extending above the top of the bowl, and a seat and seat cover hinged to said bowl atthe rear of the top of the bowl for swinging movementbetween the top of the bowl and the front of the tank, a seat raising attachment comprising a support including. a base disposed adjacent the bottom of the bowl and a standard extending upwardly from one end of said base and disposed'adjacent the front of saidtank, a lever disposed above said base and extending longitudinally thereof, means extending upwardly from said base and providing a fulcrum supporting said lever intermediate the length of the latter, a guideway mounted onthe under side of said: seatand extending longitudinally thereof; slide means engaging and movable longitudinally of-'sa-id= g-uideway, a link pivotally connected at oneend to the end of said lever adjacent said: standard and connected at its other end to said slide means, a. sheave on said link intermediate the length thereof, sheaves on said standard at spaced apart locations therealong, a strand extending around said sheaves and having its ends connected together to support said linkon said standard and enable said link to raise said seat in response to downward foot pressure on the end of said lever remote from said standard, and a latch mounted on said base near the end of the latter remote from saidstandardand engaging the corresponding endof said lever when the latter is forced downwardly by foot pressure thereon to hold said, seat in, raised position, said latch being released from said' lever by foot pressure on said latch to free said seat to, descen'dby gravity to the top of said, bowl, and pads of resilient material projecting from the, under side of said, seat at the front thereof to cushion said seat when the latter descends to the top surface of said bowl.

3.. In, combination with a toilet assembly includingabowl, atank disposed.- at the rear of the bowl, and, extending abovev the top of the bowl, andaseatand seat cover hinged to said bowl at; the rear of the top of the bowl for swinging, movementbetween, the top of the bowl and the 5 front of the tank, a seat raising attachment comprising a support including a base disposed adjacent the bottom of the bowl and a standard extending upwardly from one end 01 said base and disposed adjacent the front of said tank, a lever disposed above said base and extending longitudinally thereof, means extending upwardly from said base and providing a fulcrum supporting said lever intermediate the length of the latter, a gnideway mounted on the under side of said seat and extending longitudinally thereof, slide means engaging and movable longitudinally of said guideway, a link pivotally connected at one end to the end of said lever adjacent said standard and connected at its other end to said slide means, a sheave on said link intermediate the length thereof, sheaves on said standard at spaced apart locations therealong, a strand extending around said sheaves and having its ends connected together to support said link on said standard and enable said link to raise said seat in response to downward foot pressure on the end of said lever remote from said standard, and

a latch mounted on said base near the end of the latterremotefrom said standard and engaging the corresponding end of said lever when the latter is forced downwardly by foot pressure thereon to hold said seat in raised position, said latch being released from said lever by foot pressure on said latch to free said seat to descend by gravity to the top of said bowl, an arm pivotally mounted on said standard adjacent the top end of the standard and swingaole about its pivotal connec tion with said standard, and a pad of resilient material carried by said arm at a location spaced from the pivotal connection between said arm and said standard and movable to a position in which it engages said cover at the side of said cover remote from said tank when said cover is in raised position to hold said cover in raised position and also provide a cushion for said seat when the seat is raised.

JACK JUNG.

No references cited. 

